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Grassi & Toering, PLC handles a wide variety of probate and trust matters. These include probate and trust administration (including acting as special tax counsel to executors and trustees), complex probate and trust litigation, and arbitration of will and trust disputes. We have the background and expertise to help you in each of these areas.
Probate and Trust
Administration. What are my duties as a personal
representative? What may I do (and not do) as a trustee? May I hire
an accountant? How do I sell real estate? What are my duties to
heirs and beneficiaries? When do I need court approval to do
something? These are the kinds of issues that a fiduciary faces.
And what is a fiduciary anyway?
A personal representative is a
"fiduciary" to the beneficiaries of the estate, just as a trustee is
a "fiduciary" to the beneficiaries of the trust. This means that the
personal representative or the trustee is required to act for the
benefit of the beneficiaries of the estate or trust, and not for his or her personal
benefit. If a fiduciary does something improper - or fails to
do what he or she should - the probate court may hold the
fiduciary personally responsible. Thus, it is wise for a personal
representative or a trustee to hire an attorney to provide legal
advice.
That's where we can help. Sebastian Grassi is a nationally recognized authority in estate planning.
He applies that expertise to probate and trust administration. In
fact, Sebastian has served as a member of the Michigan Probate Council, which
advises the Michigan legislature on changes in Michigan's probate and trust law. He has also lectured to the Michigan Probate Registers Association on probate administration matters, and to the National College of Probate Judges on trust administration matters. Sebastian has authored over 105 articles and four books on estate planning and tax matters. Sebastian is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (www.actec.org), and has written a number of articles for the College's Journal.
Complex Will and Trust
Disputes. Commonly called "will contests," will and trust
disputes can involve both sophisticated legal issues and family
conflict. It is important that you choose attorneys who understand
both. We do.
We take a team approach. We combine
Sebastian's knowledge of probate and trusts with Doug Toering's
courtroom skills. The result is an aggressive legal team who
understands the law and is willing and able to fight for you.
Arbitration. In some
cases, you may want to consider trying the case out of
court - in front of a neutral arbitrator. We will gladly try a
probate dispute, either in court or in arbitration. Also, Sebastian
Grassi is available to serve as an arbitrator himself.
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